I Don't Want To Be Alone
by Cierastar
Summary: Kiyomi is the daughter of Captain Sozo Sagara. She was very young when her parents were killed and she was left alone. Years later Kiyomi travels all over Japan but she stops in Tokyo. She sees two familiar faces there but she's reluctant to let others into her heart in fear that she might get hurt or they will get hurt. But a certain red head will find his way into her heart.
1. Prologue

Prologue

"_Mother when will father be home?" A young girl with black hair that looked red who looked no more than 8 years old asked her mother about her father. "I don't know but we need to go to the village now because everyone is supposed to be there." The young girl's mother took her hand and they walked out the door and to the center of the village. When they got there something was on display. They got closer and gasped as tears formed in their eyes. There on display was the head of the young girl's father. The girl's mother turned her child away from the sight. "This is what happens to traitors! I know that Sagara has a family and I want them found and killed!" After that the mother and her daughter hurried home where the mother took all of her kimonos and stuffed them into a bag to give to her daughter along with two fans with blades on them. The girl and her mother fled the house using the back door because some men had entered their house from the front entrance. The girl and her mother ran until they couldn't run anymore. "A tree and it has a hole in its stump and it's well hidden by all of these bushes! Now my sweet girl hide in here and don't come out until they're gone!" The girl looked up at her mother with sapphire blue pleading eyes. "But what about you mother?!" The mother smiled at her daughter and shook her head. "I will not be able to go with you I'm sorry. I have to leave you alone… Goodbye and be safe!" The young girl began to cry but stopped when she heard the footsteps of the men. Through a small hole in the bushes she could see her mother and the men coming closer to her. The men grinned and took out there swords. One of the men stepped forward and plunged his sword into the girl's mother's chest. "Aagh!" The girl's mother let out a cry of pain and then fell to the ground, dead. The men took her body and left. The girl crawled out of the tree and began to walk in the opposite direction of the men. Pretty soon it grew dark and it began to rain. The girl stopped at a village that was well hidden and isolated. The young girl entered the village and began knocking on someone's door hoping that they could take her in. The young girl was very fortunate because a young couple lived there and they were really kind and the wife was skilled in the arts of the fan blades. The couple took her in and cared for her as if she were their own child. The wife taught the young girl how to fight with the blades. Years passed along slowly and the young girl grew up into a beautiful young woman. _

I am fourteen years old now and had learned everything about how to use the fan blades. I took out an old, regular kimono that the couple gave to me for my travels.

"Thank you for everything! Goodbye and may we meet again someday!" I waved to the couple as I carried the bag full of all of my mother's kimonos and the fan blades tucked in their sheaths attached to a belt around my waist.

"Now I need to find work that lets me help the weak and that will give me an excuse for my revenge." I said as I walked through the forest. "I may be able to find that kind of work in Kyoto!" I said as I ran at a speed that is considered god-like speed. It took me three days to reach Kyoto. There was a man there willing to give me the work I was looking for. The man seemed important because he had about a hundred trained assassins working for him. At the moment a man whom I could never forget was being targeted and it was my job to kill him. This man that I'm going to kill is the very man that killed my parents. I was given a place to stay and left my bag there and waited for night fall. The color of my hair was no longer the color it used to be; now it was blood red and my eyes lost their sapphire blue color, now they are also blood red. I lost all of my happiness when my parents were killed and when I left that couple. Now the only emotion I have is anger. I crept into the house that belonged to the man who killed my parents. The men he sent to kill my mother were standing guard outside his bedroom door. I walked out of the shadows and into the light of the moon.

"W-who are you?!" I laughed bitterly at his question.

"Tell me do you remember killing a woman with bright orange hair and sapphire blue eyes? Do you also remember killing Captain Sagara?" I smiled bitterly as I waited for an answer.

"Yeah why?" I turned my steely gaze at the man with a cold smile on my face.

"Because I'm their daughter!" I yelled as I lunged forward to attack.

"Aagh! We forgot…to kill…her…!" The leader yelled in a dying voice.

"No! Gah!" One after the other I killed them. I killed the last of them and approached the door. I kicked it open and it made a loud slam.

"You! You're Sagara's brat! I must admit you have grown into a very fine young woman though!" I rolled my eyes and glared at him.

"Save me your crap! Any last words before you die?" The man smiled as another man came out from the shadows.

"This is my highly trained bodyguard! If you want to kill me you'll have to go through him!" The man was huge and had strong muscles.

"Come on now…I don't want to kill such a sexy young woman!" The man laughed when all of a sudden a boy who looked to be four years older than me barged in through the window.

"W-who are you?!" I took this opportunity to go for the man that killed my parents. I took my fan blades and slashed him across his stomach.

"Aagh… N-no… It can't end…this way…" I scoffed at his words as he stopped breathing all together. I turned my attention back to the large man but saw that the boy who came in through the window had killed him already.

"You're quick with your work." The boy looked at me and I could see his face a little better. His hair was the same color as mine but his eyes are as yellow as ambers. "S-Shinta?" The boy looked surprised but then glared.

"My name is no longer Shinta. It's Kenshin and what is your name?" I looked at him with my own glare.

"How do you not remember me? You know my name is Kiyomi." Kenshin looked at me with his eyes showing realization. "How could you not remember me…your friend…" I looked at Kenshin with soft eyes and he returned the gaze with his own.

"Why are you working as an assassin?" I looked down and let out a sigh before looking back up at him with a steady but serious gaze.

"I got this job for my own reasons…" I was not ready to tell Kenshin the reason for my revenge even if he was my friend but we were no longer friends because we seemed to have drifted apart and if I were to get close to someone now I would end up getting hurt. "I must leave now." I said in a cold voice. I turned to leave but Kenshin caught me by the wrist. "Is there something you need?" I said turning to glare at him.

"You shouldn't travel alone." I rolled my eyes and pulled my wrist out of his grasp.

"I've traveled alone all this time so I'm perfectly fine." _Lies! I was not fine! I was never fine! I'm just a girl with a broken heart and a broken spirit. I'm just broken that is all there is to it. _I walked towards the door and left. I knew the old bastard had my parents' bodies in here somewhere and I didn't want to leave them in a place like this. I found their bodies in a small room at the end of the hall. Thankfully all parts of their bodies were there. My mother's body was in one piece but my father's head was cut off. I pulled the crate that their bodies were in outside and found a horse connected to a wagon. I put the crate on the wagon and rode off towards an area near Tokyo. There was a clearing surrounded by white lilies with a cherry blossom tree in the center. I dug a hole in the ground under the cherry blossom tree and gently placed the bodies in the ground. I wrapped their bodies up in cloth and filled the hole. I placed my father's sword into the ground above their heads and placed two hydrangea flower seeds in the spot where the centers of their bodies were. When I was finished I sprinted off at a god-like speed into the distance.

I went back to the inn and bathed. The water was the color red by the time I got out and I drained the water and put my clothes back on before heading back to my room. I sat on the veranda in front of my room gazing up at the stars. I sensed some presences so I jumped onto the wall and peered down. There I saw Kenshin and…a woman?! The woman looked beautiful and older than me and Kenshin. I recall seeing her around the inn. I believe her name is Tomoe Yukishiro. For some reason there was a sharp pain in my chest when I saw them going off together. I got off the wall and was greeted by my employer.

"What's wrong?" He had a serious look in his eyes.

"You must leave Kyoto right now." Not pressing any further I nodded my head and fetched my belongings. "I have arranged for you to stay in a small secluded village with another assassin. You two shall be brother and sister. You must change your names as well. You're name shall be Kiyoe and his name shall be Kaisho. He should be waiting for you on the outskirts of Kiyoto. His name is Kazemasa." I nodded my head and sprinted away towards the location in which I was given.

When I reach the outskirts of Kiyoto I see a man who was as tall as Kenshin, had green hair, and grey eyes.

"Are you Kazemasa?" I can't help it if I'm cold to everyone that's just what happens when you suffer as much as I have.

"Yes and are you Kiyomi?" I nodded my head slowly and we took off for the village. I've heard the name that the people gave Kenshin. They gave him the name _Battousai_ which means _human slayer_. I was also given a name that was _Mijoseikiri_ and it means _beautiful female slayer_. I honestly don't see the point in giving us these names but I honestly don't care. We continued on our way through the dense forest. "Is it true that you have god-like speed?" I kept my eyes focused on the road and any other movements beside ours.

"That's what people say." I said flatly.

"I hear the name you were given often. Are you really called Mijoseikiri the legendary woman slayer?" _Why does he ask me so many questions? Does he not know how suspicious I am of him? Does he know how fast I can kill him? _

"That is the name that I was given." Kazemasa stops talking for a few minutes and I feel his eyes on me.

"It is true of what they say about you." I heard him whisper and turned to face him.

"What do you mean?" Many things were said about me but no one knows what I looked like before I became an assassin.

"You really are beautiful and men all across the country desire you." I rolled my eyes and keep walking.

"I don't care for that sort of thing. Maybe in the past but not now." I spoke in a cold tone once again.

"What did you look like before? I mean before you changed completely." I froze when I heard that question.

"How do you know about that?" I turned a fierce glare on him and he only smiled calmly but I saw a hint of nervousness in his eyes.

"Well there are many stories about you and I heard one about how you changed completely hair and all." I started walking once again with my eyes closed.

"I will not tell anyone about me. Enough questions." I said in a commanding tone and Kazemasa obeyed.

_(Morning) _By the time we get to the village it is morning and there is a small house inside the village that was arranged for us to stay in. We entered the house and I saw two bedrooms.

"I will get this room and you are not to answer… Big brother." I said the last part reluctantly as I answered the room and shut the door. This arrangement is only temporary. I thought back to the names we were given. _Kiyoe _means _beautiful one_ and _Kaisho _means _fly over the sea_. I was bored just sitting in my room like this. I was wearing an old simple kimono that the couple gave me. I didn't wear my mother's kimonos because I could not fit them and I didn't want to dirty them. I stood up and tucked my fan blades away inside my kimono. I then hid the bag full of my mother's kimonos before leaving the room. "Remember to stay out of my room. If I find that you've been in there I will not be forgiving." I said in a harsh tone to _big brother_. I left the house and walked around the village.

"Hello Kiyoe!" It seems my employer informed the villagers of me and Kazemasa. I just simply forced a smile.

"Hello Miss." I said. I greeted every villager in the whole village and I was receiving a lot of unwanted attention from the young village men. All this attention was irritating me so I left and headed towards the lake. The lake was beautiful and clear, it made me think back to the name that my parents gave to me.

_*Flashback*_

"_Mommy what does my name mean?" I was considered to be a beautiful 5 year old girl with black hair that looked bright red and sapphire blue eyes. I spoke to my mother in a cheerful tone._

"_Your name means pure beauty." Said my father as he came up next to my mother._

"_Then what does your name mean mommy?" My mother's name was _Mika_._

"_My name means beautiful." My father's name was Shiro Kojima but that was the name he was born with. My father's name was Sozo Sagara. My family was a wealthy family and I was sweet and innocent like all children were. We were all so happy together._

"_I love you mommy! I love you daddy!" I hugged my parents in a happy manner._

"_We love you too Kiyomi!" They both hugged me back with equal happiness._

_*End of Flashback*_

We were all so happy. We were completely unaware of the dangers that lie ahead of us. I no longer have the mixed colors of my parents' hair. I no longer have the beautiful sapphire blue eyes that my mother had. My hair was the color of blood and my eyes matched. My heart and spirit were broken the day my parents were killed. All of my happy days were long gone and I feel that I may never have happiness again. I will always be alone. I don't want to get hurt but I don't want to be alone. I only depend on myself. I don't depend on others at all. I am broken and that is all there is to it.

The wind blew silently through my hair as memories came forward. Tears were threatening to fall so I blocked out every single memory of the days when I was happy. There is a wall around my heart that should remain there but I have a feeling that once this war is over my heart will lose its wall. I didn't notice how late it was getting until I saw the orange glow of the sun. I turned around and walked back to the small house.

I entered and there sat Kazemasa. He was cooking something so I came up next to him.

"What are you making?" My tone was emotionless and I had the expression to match. Kazemasa looked up at me with cheerful eyes and a happy grin.

"I'm making a stew pot." I didn't have any more questions so I entered my room and shut the door. I sat down on the tatami mat and got lost in my thoughts which were filled with painful memories.

_*Flashback*_

"_Daddy who's that boy over there?" I asked as I stared at a boy with rooster like brown hair._

"_That is Sanosuke Higashidani." I stared silently at the boy as he trained with another boy with jet black hair. _

"_Who's the other boy next to San-San?" I glanced between my father and the other boy next to Sano._

"_That's Tsunan Tsukioka." I fell silent once more and continued to watch the two boys._

"_Katsu-Katsu and San-San are training really hard." Father nodded his head and I heard mother calling my name. I turned around and headed inside._

_*End if Flashback*_

I can't remember those boys at all. Well it's not like I'll ever see them again. For all I know they could be dead somewhere.

"Kiyoe dinner is ready!" _Ugh! Must he be so loud?! _I stood up and walked out of my room. I sat down on a cushion and picked up a bowl and some chopsticks. I picked up some of the meats and vegetables that were in the pot and ate them. _I will admit that these taste pretty good. _We ate in complete silence and it didn't seem to bother me at all. "Hey um, Kiyoe?" I looked up at Kazemasa.

"Yes big brother?" My tone was a little sweeter and softer.

"Do you know how to cook?" I nodded my head slowly and Kazemasa looked relieved.

"Yeah why?"

"Because I will be getting a job in the fields so you will need to cook for yourself." I nodded my head in understanding and continued eating.

_(6 Months Later) _It is winter time now and over time I've made a friend. Her name is Okinawa. I've told myself that I wouldn't get close to anyone but here I am acting like Kazemasa was my real older brother. It was great to have a sibling even if we weren't actually related because I'm an only child and it was lonely not having any siblings but I did have my birthparents and my adopted parents so I wasn't completely lonely.

Okinawa came over earlier with some fresh berries. We sat on the floor eating them and talking about different things.

"Kiyoe you're very popular among the young men. A lot of girls envy your beauty including me but only a little bit."

"Okinawa you know I don't care about beauty and being popular." We talked for a little longer until it was time for Okinawa to leave. "Bye Okinawa!" I waved to her as she left waving back. That was when big brother came home. "Hello big brother!" My smiles were real. I no longer forced smiles. For the first time in awhile I actually felt happy.

"Hello little sister!" Big brother patted my head and sat down on a cushion. I got dinner out and we enjoyed dinner together but little did I know that I was about to lose my happiness all over again…

_(2 Weeks Later) _The ground was completely covered in snow and I was outside with big brother and Okinawa but…

"Where are we going Okinawa?" We were following Okinawa deeper into the woods and farther away from the village.

"There is a beautiful area that I know of and I know that you'll just love it." Something about her was a bit off today and I began to get a bad feeling. I was hoping that it was just my imagination but…

"I know who you two are. You may have been able to fool the other villagers but not me!" We reached an empty clearing and Okinawa took on a more severe look.

"Okinawa what are you talking about…?" Okinawa glared hard at us.

"You are assassins. You are Kazemasa Kinjo and you are the legendary female man slayer, Mijoseikiri otherwise known as Kiyomi Sagara!" _No one is supposed to know my last name! What's going on and how does she know who we are? _"I will put an end to you both right now!" Okinawa caught me off guard and attacked with a sharp blade but…

"Kiyomi!" Kazemasa intervened and got stabbed in his stomach. Okinawa removed the blade and smirked.

"How caring of you to save your _little sister_!" Okinawa sneered. I knelt down next to Kazemasa with silent tears in my eyes.

"Kiyomi…don't cry…smile for me… I want you…to keep…living so don't…die okay…?" I nodded my head slowly and the tears fell down my face silently. I hugged Kazemasa gently and he did the same. When we pulled away Kazemasa looked straight at me with a smile. "No matter what happens…know that I'll always love you as my…only little sister…" Kazemasa closed his eyes slowly and his temperature dropped as he stopped breathing. I laid Kazemasa down and stood up. I turned an outraged glare on Okinawa. I pulled my blades out and my eyes flashed in anger. Okinawa launched at me and I easily dodged.

"I will not forgive you." I said in an extremely cold tone and I launched at Okinawa and pierced her chest. I was too quick for Okinawa. "We are no longer friends." I glared at her and used an icy tone.

"I hope…you suffer…" Okinawa stopped breathing and I removed her sword from her chest and all the blood gushed out and soon she was lying in a puddle full of blood. I returned to the village and got my belongings before returning to retrieve Kazemasa's body.

I brought Kazemasa's body to a clearing hidden outside of Kiyoto. I knew that this area would be filled with hydrangeas so I buried Kazemasa's body in front of the base of the tree. This tree was just an ordinary tree. I stuck Kazemasa's sword in the dirt at the base of the tree and decided to come back in the spring time to plant lily seeds. I left the area and decided to wander the lands alone. _I'll always end up alone. I shall not let anyone get close to me ever again. I shall build a wall around my heart but I vow to never kill again._

I decided to put reverse blades on my fans. I went to a swords master. He took the blades off of my fans and put reverse blades on them.

"Thank you." I bowed my head to the sword smith.

"Oh not a problem young lady." I bid the sword smith farewell and began to wander the lands.

Narrator's POV

Soon the war ended and the two legendary assassins became nothing but a distant memory and as for the identity of Captain Sagara's only daughter… no one knows where she has gone the only thing that is known is that she is alive somewhere in Japan.

* * *

**I hope you all liked this prologue because I put a lot of effort into it. Well in the next chapter there is going to be painful memories for Kiyomi and she'll be reunited with Kenshin once again but… She doesn't want to get close to anyone ever again so we'll see how Kenshin will help her to be able to trust again. Kenshin is the only one who will be able to fix this broken woman so until the next chapter please don't forget to leave comments! Bye!**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Painful Memories & Learning To Trust

_(10 Years Later) _It has been ten years since I became a wanderer. I am 24 years old and I am still alone. My natural hair color and eye color have returned and I'm stilled wearing old, tattered kimonos. I am able to fit my mother's kimonos but I don't wear them because I'm often traveling. I use reverse blade fans and I wear my long waist length hair down with a single ribbon tied at the lower part of my hair so it would look like a low ponytail. I had to fix the way my bangs looked because my bangs swept off to the side like my father's so I had to fix it so no one would recognize me. Now my bangs frame my face perfectly and in a graceful way like my mother's bangs. My long hair curled itself towards the end. I had long eyelashes and thin eyebrows. My hair was black but it looked red under the light so I looked much different than other Japanese females and my eyes were sapphire blue which also looked different from Japanese females.

No one knows my last name but it is known that Captain Sagara's only child is alive. It is known that his daughter is somewhere in Japan and she is very much alive but no one knows what I look like. I also heard something very disturbing involving the man who killed my parents. It turns out that he is alive and is looking for me. He forgot the specific details of my face so he can't really describe me. The only way he could find me was if I were to speak my last name or if he sees me and suddenly remembers. I don't intend on being found so I keep well away from Kiyoto. I'm actually on my way to Tokyo and I'm almost there but I decided to stop by my parents' grave. I can't go see Kazemasa because his grave is hidden outside of Kiyoto and going near Kiyoto would be a bad idea.

I haven't heard anything about Kenshin. The only thing I heard was that he was wandering around Japan but why should I care about him? I should not open my heart to anyone but that won't stop me from helping people and being kind to the weak. I am broken and I may remain like this permanently. I'm unable to trust thanks to Okinawa. I can't depend on anyone but myself. I'll always be alone and that is what I'm scared of most. I have no friends, no family, I don't have anyone. I don't want to be alone but I don't want to get hurt anymore either. Okinawa got her wish for me to suffer. I've suffered greatly and I continue to suffer. It is my fault that Kazemasa was killed; I couldn't save my mother or my father, so I couldn't save anyone. I carry a heavy burden in my heart and I can't smile, laugh, or even be happy anymore. I deserve to suffer because of my own weakness. I don't matter to anyone in this world so I'll just continue to suffer like this quietly to myself. I don't have anyone and I never will. I just want to end all of this but I made a promise to my parents and to Kazemasa that I will live and keep living but I only have that one reason to live, my will to live is very small.

Eventually I reach my parents grave and I relax every time I come here because of the beauty that's in the area. The only thing I have left of my father is the red ribbon that he wore around his head. I keep the ribbon hidden inside of the bag with all my mother's kimonos in it. I set my bag down and kneel in front of my parents' graves.

"Mother… Father… I can't go one like this. The pain is too much for me. I know you want me to live but I can't keep my will to live strong. It's all my fault that both of you and Kazemasa died. So why do I have to keep living only to suffer like this? Do you want me to suffer like this…?" A single tear rolled down my cheek and fell onto my lap.

"Of course we don't want you to suffer Kiyomi." I hear my mother's voice and look up. There was my mother and father sitting right in front of me but they were radiant so they must be in their spirit forms.

"Kiyomi you know very well that we don't want you to be in this much pain. It is not your fault that we died so stop blaming yourself. We protected you so that you could live." Even though they were spirits when they hugged me it felt like they were there and alive.

"Kiyomi we want you to be happy. We want you to keep living and find someone that will make you both happy. Your happiness is the most important thing to us. I wanted to give you this when you were older and now you are so here." Mother took a beautiful comb with a lily on it from her plain red and white kimono. When she placed the comb in my hair it sparkled wonderfully.

"Kiyomi we must go now but remember that we'll always be with you when you need us most okay?" Father gave me a soft smile that I haven't seen in awhile. The tears spilled out of my eyes as my parents hugged me once more.

"And also you must trust and depend on others as well don't try to take hard things on alone okay?" Mother also smiled and I nodded my head at both of them.

"Okay, yes." I hugged them back and when I pulled away they disappeared. I wiped away my tears and touched the comb. It was real and my parents were actually here. I stood up and got my bag. I got back on the path and headed straight towards Tokyo. Tokyo was only three miles away from my parents' grave so I didn't have to walk too far. When I enter Tokyo the city is bustling with people. I just walked through the city silently not making eye contact with anyone. I felt hungry and remembered that I hadn't eating anything in four days. I looked around and saw a restaurant called the _Akabeko_. I walked into the restaurant and was greeted by a waitress.

"Hi my name is Tae Sekihara and welcome to the Akabeko. So a party of one?" I nodded my head slowly. The waitress had a western-like accent which could be heard clearly. "Follow me this way please." I followed Tae to a small room. I stepped up onto the platform and sat down on a cushion. Considering I didn't have much I just ordered some rice and miso soup. "I'll be back with your meal in just a moment." The waitress left the room. I took the small comb out of my hair and examined it. The comb itself was a beautiful gold color while the lily was pristine white with the small light green stems coming out of the center, and the tips of the small stems in the center of the flower were yellow. It truly was beautiful and it sparkled making it even more beautiful. I put the comb back in my hair and the waitress came back and sat my food down in front of me.

"Thank you." I thanked the waitress with a soft smile and she smiled back.

"Um if you don't mind me asking but are you new here in Tokyo?" I nodded my head and the waitress smiled cheerfully. "Then welcome to Tokyo. You already know my name. May I ask your name?"

"My name is Kiyomi Hattori." I had to come up with a fake last name so I had that one chosen and I had been using it ever since I left the couple who took me in. That couple knew who I was and they promised that they wouldn't tell anyone.

"Well it was nice to meet you Kiyomi but I have to get back to work now." Tae scurried off to her next customer and I began to eat in silence. I couldn't stop my mind from wandering to my memories. The memory that came to mind was the one when I first met Kenshin.

_*Flashback*_

"_What's your name?" I asked a red haired boy who was four years older than me._

"_My name is Shinta. What's yours?" I smiled at the red haired boy cheerfully._

"_I'm Kiyomi. Hey want to be friends?" Shinta nodded his head with a smile of his own._

"_Yes I would like that very much." I played with Shinta for three days straight but the next day when I went to see him…_

"_Hey what's wrong?" I asked Shinta when I saw his sad face._

"_We can't be friends anymore." That was all he said and he left me standing there with tears burning in the corner of my eyes._

"_Shinta…?" The tears fell silently down my cheeks._

_*End of Flashback*_

Kenshin left me just like that. He was the only friend I've ever had. I shook my head quickly and pushed all of my memories to the back of my mind. I finished eating, paid for my food, and went to leave when…

"Hey you're a pretty one aren't ya?" A man grabbed me by the arm and pulled me towards him. _Ugh! He reeks of sake!_

"Let me go now!" I tried pulling my arm away but he only tightened his grip and it was hurting my arm. I twisted my arm trying to get it free but it didn't work. No way was I going to pull my fan blades out in a place like this. I continued to pull on my arm until… _BAM!_

"Gah!" A vaguely familiar guy with brown rooster-like hair, brown eyes, and he was wearing a white _happi_ jacket with black trim and the kanji character _aku_ - meaning evil - emblazoned conspicuously on the back of his happi in black as well as white dōgi trousers, wearing his jacket open leaving his arms out of the sleeves so that it simply drapes over his shoulders, he was not wearing a shirt beneath it, instead leaving his chest bare while white _sarashi_ bandage tape is wrapped around his abdomen; this same white sarashi was wrapped around his ankles and feet he also wore a long headband and matching sarashi around his left forearm, both of which are red.

"She said let go so I suggest you not put your hands back on her!" He's seems pretty brash and straightforward though that's my opinion.

"Ugh…" The man was knocked unconscious. I turned to the man that helped me and bowed.

"Thank you for the help sir." I said and I raised my head and offered a soft smile.

"Uh you don't have to call me _sir _my name's Sanosuke Sagara." My eyes widened when I heard his last name. _Did he say Sagara? I know very well that I don't have any siblings. So how is it that he has my family's last name? _Sanosuke noticed my surprised expression and narrowed his eyes a bit. "What's _your _name?"

"It's Kiyomi…er…Hattori." I was so surprised that I messed up my sentence and now I sound suspicious. Sanosuke didn't look very convinced and peered at my face suspiciously.

"You sure that's your name?" I nodded slowly and tried to calm my nerves.

"Hey Sano what's going on?" I heard a vaguely familiar voice. A few seconds later another man came from one of the small rooms. He had red hair tied into a low ponytail, and he had deep violet eyes. He wore a plain red violet men's kimono of cheap, worn cloth with a white _umanori hakama_, zori and white _tabi_, and a sakabatō worn under his _obi_ at his left hip in a black, steel _saya_. What really caught my attention was the cross-shaped scar on his left cheek under his eye. He seemed familiar but he doesn't at the same time.

"Who are you?" I asked the man as I stared hard at him.

"I'm Kenshin Himura." _Wait this is Kenshin? _He's changed a lot since I last saw him.

"Who are you?" Sanosuke butted into the conversation after Kenshin asked this.

"She says her name is Kiyomi Hattori but she hesitated when giving me her last name. I don't think Hattori is really her last name. So what is it?" No one knows my last name not even Kenshin and I was not ready to tell anyone now.

"Fine my real last name is Shirasagi." I managed to say that calmly so I am believable.

"Kiyomi?" I turned my gaze to Kenshin and had a small smile on my lips as I closed my eyes.

"It's been awhile hasn't it?" I asked softly not opening my eyes.

"That it has." I kept my eyes closed and smiled. I opened my eyes and turned my back on them.

"Well I should leave." I stated and hurried out of the Akabeko. I began walking without a thought as to where I was going until…

"Kiyomi wait!" I stopped in my tracks and turned my head around only to see Sanosuke, Kenshin, and some other people running towards me. I turned my body around completely to face them.

"What is it?" I looked at the people whom I didn't know. "Who are these people?" One of them stepped forward. She had mid-back length black hair tied in a ponytail with a purple ribbon, dark blue eyes, and she was wearing a purple kimono with sandals.

"Hi my name is Kaoru Kamiya. I am the master of the Kamiya Kasshin style." The girl seemed obstinate. That was when the ten year old boy spoke up.

"I'm Yahiko Myōjin and I'm a student of this ugly girl's dojo." The boy had black unkempt spiky hair, cat-like brown eyes; he wore a green haori patterned with several sets of short, twin parallel lines and a white long-sleeved shirt underneath, as well as a dark hakama and standard white tabi and zori. Kaoru glared at Yahiko and started pinching his cheeks and Yahiko returned the favor.

"You shouldn't call a beautiful girl ugly Yahiko!" Kaoru let go of Yahiko's cheeks and he followed after.

"I didn't call Kiyomi ugly! She's the only beautiful girl I see!" Kaoru looked really mad and it was an instant repeat of what happened a few seconds ago.

"Anyways what did you need Kenshin?" While Kaoru and Yahiko bickered I spoke to Kenshin and Sanosuke.

"Are you still traveling?" I nodded slowly.

"It's not like I have a place to stay. I don't really have any friends or family to go to so I travel. That is all I can do. I've been alone for ten years. I'm perfectly fine as I am." _Lying isn't getting me anywhere. I lied to him before and he believed me and I am lying to him again. Of course I'm not fine! I don't want to be alone. I'm scared when I'm alone but I don't want to show it. I can't trust anyone or depend on anyone but myself. Mother you told me to trust and depend on others. How am I supposed to do that when I trusted Okinawa and look where that got me? She got her wish. I'm suffering completely. I'm broken. I force smiles, I'm cold to others, and I lie so I won't get hurt. I keep others at a distance but I just don't want to be alone… _

"You are not fine. That you aren't." _What? He could see through my lie?_ I looked at Kenshin wide-eyed.

"How do you know that?" I put up my cold front as I always do.

"I know you aren't I can see it in your eyes. You need to trust and depend on others more." _Trust? Depend?! I don't want a repeat of what happened ten years ago! _

"I cannot trust or depend on anyone but myself." I said in a cold but harsh tone. Kenshin continued to speak softly.

"Yes you can if you try." I shook my head and looked up at Kenshin with a bitter smile. Yahiko and Kaoru had stopped bickering long before then.

"Don't you understand Kenshin? I'm broken. My heart and spirit are broken. I can never be able to trust or depend on anyone again. I shouldn't have trusted someone from my past. I said that I would trust and depend on only myself. I said that I wouldn't let anyone near my heart. I push everyone away. I am to forever remain alone. That was made clear when all of my happiness was taken away from me so many times and it became clear that I was to be alone. That woman's dying wish came true. I'm suffering constantly and I can't put an end to it. Everyday I'm tormented with nightmares and memories of my past. I will only know suffering. I can't smile, laugh, or even be happy. It's just not possible! All I can do is suffer and run away from my past!" At those last words I took off running at a god-like speed with wild tears running rapidly down my face.

"Kiyomi wait!" I didn't stop. I ran out of the village and towards a small clearing a little ways away from my parents' grave. I entered the trees and underbrush that hid the area and collapsed onto my knees. Sobs escaped my lips as I put my bag down and covered my face with my hands. My sobs were muffled by my hands. I couldn't stop crying. The tears…they just keep coming. No matter how fast I wipe the tears away they just kept coming.

"I have nothing… I'm all alone… I am broken…" It was growing dark so I made a small campfire and lied down on the grass. I put the comb in my bag and used it as a pillow. There were still tears on my face but fatigue overcame me. I drifted off to sleep with silent tears rolling down my cheeks.

Sozo Sagara's POV

Mika and I stood a couple feet away from our only daughter who was sleeping silently with tears in her eyes.

"Shiro I don't want her to be alone out here like this." I looked over to my wife and back at my daughter.

"Neither do I Mika…" We stood there watching over her.

"Kiyomi!" Suddenly we heard voices and went to go see who it was that was looking for our daughter.

"Shiro look its Sanosuke!" Mika was right. Sanosuke and a group of other people were searching for Kiyomi. "Oh Shiro they don't know that she's here! We have to take them to her somehow." I nodded my head and began to think.

"Maybe we can make a glow that is bright enough and get them to follow us." Mika nodded and we focused on radiating our light.

"Hey what's that glow?" I looked over to Mika and nodded. We turned around and began walking towards Kiyomi.

"Oh look maybe its Kiyomi! We should follow the light." We heard their footsteps following after us. We reached Kiyomi and disappeared.

"Here she is!" The young man with the red hair put one arm on Kiyomi's back and the other under her knees and carried her. "Sano can you get her bag?" The red head asked and he started kicking the dirt to put the fire out.

"Yeah sure." Sano picked up the bag and they all left.

"I don't like seeing her suffer like this Shiro…" I hugged Mika gently and whispered.

"Neither do I but we must leave now." Mika nodded and we went back to the other world.

Kiyomi's POV

My body was lifted off of the ground by a pair of strong arms. The warmth coming from the person felt so nice that I snuggled in closer to the person's chest. I don't know where I was taken but I was put down on something soft and a blanket was draped over my body. I still felt a presence at my side but I was too tired to bother opening my eyes. The person's hand brushed against my forehead gently sweeping my bangs from my face. I opened my eyes softly but everything was in a blur and I fell back asleep again.

_*Nightmare*_

"_Where am I…?" I didn't know where I was. Everything was shrouded in fog. A scene began to play out in front of me._

"_Gah!" That's my father!_

"_Father!" I rushed forward and tried to shield him from the bullets that would pierce his body but…_

"_Aagh!" The bullets past through me and shot right into my father's body!_

"_Father no!" They took his body and I was left there alone. I stared off at nothing as the scene disappeared. I was about to cry but then another scene began to play._

"_Now my sweet girl hide in here and don't come out until they're gone!" My younger version stared at my mother with pleading eyes._

"_But what about you mother?!" My mother smiled at the child version of me and shook her head._

"_I will not be able to go with you I'm sorry. I have to leave you alone… Goodbye and be safe!" The younger me began to cry but stopped when she heard the men's footsteps. _No I don't want to be here for this! _I thought helplessly as the men came forward and unsheathed their swords. One of the men came forward and plunged their sword through my mother's chest._

"_Aagh!" The man removed his blade from my mother's chest and her blood came out like a waterfall. I looked over at the terrified expression on my face as a child. No child should ever have to go through that. It was just too cruel. The men took my mother's body and walked off into the distance. I turned towards me as a child and saw that I was going in the opposite direction. The tears finally fell from my eyes but unfortunately that wasn't it. The scene disappeared and then another one began to play._

"_You are assassins. You are Kazemasa Kinjo and you are the legendary female man slayer, Mijoseikiri otherwise known as Kiyomi Sagara!" This scene was all too familiar and I really didn't want to see it. "I will put an end to you both right now!" Okinawa attacked the fourteen year old girl which was me ten years ago._

"_Kiyomi!" _

"_Kazemasa no!" My voice was not heard. Kazemasa jumped in front of the younger me and was stabbed in the stomach._

"_How caring of you to save your _little sister_!" Okinawa sneered. The younger me knelt down next to Kazemasa with silent tears in her eyes. _

"_Kiyomi… don't cry…smile for me… I…want you…to keep…living so don't…die okay…?" The younger me nodded her head slowly as the tears fell down her face silently. The younger me hugged Kazemasa gently and he did the same. When they pulled away Kazemasa looked straight at her with a smile. "No matter what happens…know that I'll always love you as my…only little sister…" Kazemasa closed his eyes slowly and his temperature dropped as he stopped breathing. Younger me laid Kazemasa down and stood up. She turned an outraged glare on Okinawa. Younger me pulled her blades out and her eyes flashed in anger. Okinawa launched at her but she easily dodged._

"_I will not forgive you." Younger me said in an extremely cold tone and she launched at Okinawa and pierced her chest. Younger me was too quick for Okinawa. "We are no longer friends." Younger me glared at Okinawa and used an icy tone._

"_I hope…you suffer…" Okinawa stopped breathing and younger me removed Okinawa's sword from her chest. All of Okinawa's blood gushed out and she was soon lying in a puddle full of her own blood which tainted the pure snow. The scene ended and I was left crying uncontrollably. It was too much to see all of those scenes at the same time. My tears would not stop falling. I was alone in the fog crying._

"_I don't want to be alone…" My child version's sad and pained voice echoed throughout the empty area ringing in my ears. The same thing repeated over and over again. "I don't want to be alone…"_

"_I don't want to be alone…" This time I actually said that in between sobs._

_*End of Nightmare*_

My eyes popped wide opened and I looked around at my surroundings. I was in a room and I was inside a futon. I felt something warm running down my cheeks and noticed that they were tears. I allowed them to fall as silent sobs escaped my lips. I looked around the room quickly as I remembered something. When I finally found what I was looking for I pulled it close to my body and opened it. Everything was there as it should. I quickly wiped away the tears and made sure that there were no signs of me crying. I stood up and opened the paper sliding door. I peered out into the hall and left my bag in the room. I closed the sliding door and walked through the corridor in silence. I soon entered a room that appeared to be the kitchen and saw someone there.

"Oh you're awake." The person turned around and I thought my heart would stop.

"K-Kenshin…" Kenshin was standing there cooking what I assumed was breakfast. Kenshin smiled warmly as I stood there. That was when I realized… "So you were the one that carried me here…?" Kenshin nodded his head. "How did you find me?" I don't understand. I was in a well-hidden area so how could they have found me.

"We followed a bright light and it led us straight to you." _Mother…Father… Why did you lead them to me? Were you really that worried about me…? _My thoughts were interrupted when Kenshin spoke. "I've prepared a bath for you so you can get in now if you want." I nodded my head slowly and left the kitchen. I came back to my room and opened the bag. I decided to wear one of my mother's kimonos for once. The kimono I chose was a beautiful lavender kimono with cherry blossoms adorning the sleeves and the lower part of the kimono. The bow that was wrapped around the kimono was pure white which matched the lining of the collar and the ends of the sleeves. The kimono stopped a little below my ankles. I took the kimono and a pair of sandals and entered the bath. The bath felt nice and warm against my skin. I made sure to clean every inch of my body and when I got out I dried myself off and wrapped my chest. After that I slipped on the kimono and the sandals after. I then returned to my room and took out a silver embroidered brush. I ran the soft white bristles through my waist-length silky reddish black hair. Once I was finished I took out the beautiful comb that my parents gave me and put it into my hair. I wore my hair down for the first time in awhile and left the room. I returned to the kitchen to find everyone was already up. Kaoru and Yahiko were bickering and Sanosuke was leaning against the wall in a bored manner. As for Kenshin well he was smiling helplessly. I just stood there and watched them until Yahiko addressed me while having his cheeks pulled by Kaoru and him doing the same to her.

"Good morning, Kiyomi!" Yahiko wore a big smile as he greeted me even though his cheeks were being pulled by Kaoru. I smiled slightly. It was hard for me to really smile so I just wore fake smiles.

"Good morning." I sat down on one of the cushions at the table. Kaoru had stopped pulling Yahiko's cheeks and addressed me.

"That is a really beautiful kimono. Where'd you get it?" I felt a pang in my heart from just that one innocent question. I forced a smile as I answered.

"It was my mother's. She gave me all of her kimonos." Kaoru looked genuinely interested all of a sudden.

"Would you mind showing me after breakfast?" I nodded my head and continued to eat in silence. _I must admit Kenshin is a really good cook. _I thought to myself as I ate my rice.

After breakfast me and Kaoru head back to my room. I open the sliding door and step inside.

"Oh! Kiyomi did you also get that comb from your mother?" I turned to Kaoru with curious eyes.

"Yes, why?" I asked in curiosity.

"Because it's so beautiful and you can never find a comb like that." I stared at Kaoru for a moment before speaking.

"Yes. It's one of a kind. You see my mother used to make the most beautiful combs you'd ever seen. Long ago her combs disappeared but luckily for me I had a talent for making them with some extra practice from my mother of course." I said softly as I remembered all of the time I spent learning to make combs with my mother.

"Oh? Do you think you can make me one?" I looked at Kaoru in slight surprise. "H-huh? What's wrong?" I shook my head softly.

"Nothing it's just…you're the first person to ask me to make a comb with genuine admiration. Those who have asked me for combs would have plans to sell them to make money so I stopped making them for people." Kaoru stared at me and smiled.

"Well I would love to wear a comb that you made!" I stared at Kaoru in curiosity. _I've never met anyone like her in all my life. _It was amazing that I had found someone who appreciates the value in such small things. "Oh! Right! I almost forgot why I came here. You said that you'd show me your kimonos." I nodded my head and began taking out my mother's kimonos one by one and neatly laying them out on the floor.

"This is all of them." I said as I wiped some sweat from my brow. Kaoru stared at the kimonos in pure admiration.

"Oh they're so beautiful!" For awhile I had sat there listening to Kaoru ramble on about how beautiful the kimonos were. For the first time I began to feel as though I could trust her but I refuse to give in.

_I just don't want to get hurt again but at the same time I don't want to be alone…_

* * *

**Hi guys I hope you enjoyed this chapter because in Chapter 2 there will be a bit of trouble. Thank goodness school was cancelled today! I was so irritated this morning and then I get to school only to find out that the heater is broken so classes were cancelled! Isn't that great?! Though I wish I could've slept longer… Oh well! Anyways please DO NOT forget to leave comments and I'll see you in the next chapter! Bye! :D**


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